The New Recruit In Hollywood
by CHERUBfan1204
Summary: Finlay is an ordinary 11 year old boy, until he goes to a movie audition and gets the role for James Adams in the film adaption of CHERUB. A story on how it changes his life. Please don't judge the story on the number of words, I will write more very soon. Thanks! DISCLAIMER-'I DO NOT OWN CHERUB'.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone! I hope you like my new FanFic. I have also written a CHERUB FanFic under the name tabsyp.33, but this is slightly different. Enjoy, read and review!**

_Chapter 1_

Don't go around expecting this to be a book packed full of adventure; fighting villains and getting all the girls. Because it's about me. An ordinary 11 year old boy. And my life.

I'm 20 now and ready to tell my story, in my words, from the beginning.

At 11 years old, I was in my first year at Secondary School. It was a nice school, and I wasn't unhappy, I just didn't have any close friends and that is always hard. I was pretty uncool, into chess and cards - especially bridge - rather than football and texting and who's-into-who. I was considered a geek; I had a 100% scholarship purely based on merit, and most people knew it. The school is labelled 'The Best Private School In London' and I knew I was lucky to be there. If I hadn't got the the scholarship I would've been off to the local comprehensive. My parents couldn't have afforded the fees otherwise.

We weren't poor; my parents, Janie and I. We just didn't have any spare money left over once the bills and the mortgage had been paid. Especially with the baby on the way. My parents wanted another boy, but I desperately wanted another sister. I love Janie, but I had only been two when she was born, so I didn't have many memories of her as a child. I really wanted to help raise one more sister who would loom up to me like Janie does.

However, this isn't just a book about a tight-for-money family living in South West London, it's about what happened to my sister and I, and what it did to us.

* * *

_Wednesday, lunchtime. Uhhh. Games this afternoon, two hours stuck in the mud with a bunch of boys twice my size._

I was sat alone at my normal table, right in the corner of the dining room. I was eating a sandwich when I noticed the headteacher - Mrs Mallie - walking towards me. She was with a young lady, about double my age, with flaming curls of wild red hair and big brown eyes. They came over and sat down at my table.

_'Hello Finlay.' _Spoke Micky Mallie (as the kids in the school call her, due to her love of joking around).

_'Hi.'_ I replied, unsure of whether I was in trouble or not. _Had I misbehaved? Not done a piece of homework? _I was sure I hadn't.

'_Don't worry, you're not in trouble.'_ She said. _Phew. _I breathed a sigh of relief.

The lady with the hair held out her hand. I took it. _'Finlay, it's great to meet you. I'm Nina' _She drawled, with a heavy American acccent.

_'You too.' _I said politely.

She turned to face my headteacher. 'He looks perfect, Alice, absolutely perfect! Can he act?'. Micky nodded. _How could she know? T_hen it hit me. _She must have seen my Primary School play. I was the lead role, and performed it brilliantly (or so everyone says).__  
_

She then turned towards me. _'Finlay, how would you feel about auditioning for a big part in a film?' I was really surprised. Me, of all people!_

_'__Um. OK. What film is it?'_

_'CHERUB. You might know it, there is a whole series of books. There are a huge sucess.'_

_'No way!' _I said, not really taking in what sort of things would come out of this conversation.

_'You have read them?'_

I nodded. _'All of them. They're like my second favourite books! Who would I be playing?'_

_'James Adams.'_

_'You must be joking.'_

Nina shook her head.

**P.S I have another CHERUB FanFic called Red To Grey. Please also read. It's by tabsyp.33**

**Thank You for reading. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2!**

_James Adams! _I couldn't believe it. _They wanted me to audition for the lead role!_

_'Seriously?' _I asked.

_'Seriously!' _Smiled Nina. _'Here's a script you might want to look at. The audition is at the Orange Tree Theatre. We already have your parents permission and they have said that you can pick up you sister from her school and she can come and watch. Mrs Mallie will escort you there.'_

Mrs Mallie turned to me. _'Finlay. If you wait in the library, I will come and get you at 2:30.'_

I nodded. _'Sure.'_

_'Good. We'll leave you to finish your lunch then!'_

After they left I looked down at the script. It was from the part of the book where Greg Jennings beats up James.

**Greg: That should teach you a lesson! [Kicking James] Just be glad I don't go around beating up little girls or your sister might've ended up with a 100 stitches in her face!**

**James: Ahh! [Scrunching his face in pain] Don't hurt Lauren! She didn't do anything!**

**Greg: Do you have any money? [James nods and gets out a 20 pound note and some coins out of his pocket. He hands them to Greg who gets up and starts to walk away]**

**Greg: Don't think that's the last you've seen of me. I'll be coming for you and next time it'll be worse! [Greg turns and walks down the alley. He turns around, gives a menacing smile and walks off]**

**James: Lauren, wait! I'm sorry! Please, wait! [Lauren is walking off. She stops and faces her brother who is slumped on the ground]**

**Lauren: You beat up Samantha Jennings? Why James? Why are you always getting into fights? Have you been expelled?**

**James: I don't know. Probably. Please help. [Lauren starts to walk back]**

**Lauren: Alright, just wait 'till I'm upstairs before you tell Mum. [James musters a smile as Lauren helps him up. The scene ends with Lauren supporting a limping James into the darkness]**

I reckoned I could act the script quite well, though I would have to wait and see.

* * *

It was really awkward getting the train with my head teacher. At least I didn't have to talk much, just answer 'Yes' or 'No' to her questions. When we got off I showed her the way to my sister's school. It's very small in a family way, and everyone knows everyone. Their is only one class per year and that only has 15 people in it. I could tell Mallie was impressed; there were no kids running around and shouting everywhere, like you find at some Primary Schools. Janie was so excited when I told her about my audition, but was a lot more subdued than normal, because of Micky being there.

When we got to the theatre, the door was flung open by Nina. _'Finlay! How are you?'_

_'Good, thanks.' _I replied. We were ushered into a a long bare corridor, with nothing but some posters of previous shows. About halfway down the corridor, I was told to go into one room, whilst Janie and Mrs Mallie were told to keep going. The room I was in was spacious, with leather sofas and coffee table with a bowl of - untouched - crisps. Four boys were sat along two sofas, with a gap between the first and the second. I guessed this was were I was meant to sit. As I sat, the boy to my right handed me a card with a big **2 **on the front. They all had ones as well, but with different numbers. I was very surprised to see that only one other boy, apart from me, had blond hair. I'd assumed that they had been scouting with that in mind. Of the five of us, I would say that three (including me) looked 11, one looked 10 and one looked 12. No one in the room was making any eye contact, so I decided to break the ice.

_'So...' _I said awkwardly. _'Have you guys all read CHERUB?' _Everyone single one of them shook their heads. I was really shocked. I mean, how can you expect to be able to portray a character if you don't know what sort of person they are? It didn't make sense.

Number **1** suddenly spoke up. _'I really don't want to do this. I'm gonna fail so bad. I haven't read the books and my mum forced me into it. Ahhh! What am I gonna do?'_

No one spoke.

* * *

**Hi Everyone! If you have any suggestions on how I should make the character's speech flow more smoothly, please say! Thanks! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3! Please review!**

_Chapter 3_

_'Finlay Harrod. Please come now.' _A head popped round the door. I got up. I was lead into a big room with a flat floor. There were lots of cameras round an edge and a big table with a man sat at it. I guessed he was the director.

He spoke. _'Hello. We would like you to act out a part from the script, with the help of Harry and Lucy here.'_ He pointed to two people sitting on chairs. _'Harry will be playing Greg in the film, but obviously Lucy is 20 years old for the part of lauren! She is the executive producer, standing in until we cast someone.'_

Someone handed me a script with the same scene that I had read earlier. I stepped into the centre of the room. My whole body racked with nerves, my hands shook. The director gave a thumbs up and Greg started to perform.

The script said I was scrunched up on the floor in pain, so I did. Greg spoke out.

_"That should teach you a lesson! Just be glad I don't go around beating up little girls or your sister might've ended up with a 100 stitches in her face!" He started to pretend kick me. Now it was my turn. Deep breaths. In out in out._

_"Ahh! Don't hurt Lauren! She didn't do anything!" I cried, scrunching my face up in pain."_

_"Do you have any money?" _I nodded and reached into my pocket, pretending to pull a note out.

_"Don't think that's the last you've seen of me. I'll be coming for you and next time it'll be worse!" _Greg walked off and I was left lying on the floor. Lauren, sorry, Lucy came onto the floor. I spoke out.

_"Lauren, wait! I'm sorry! Please, wait!" I cried. (_ Lucy was pretending to walk off, she turned around_)._

_"You beat up Samantha Jennings? Why James? Why are you always getting into fights? Have you been expelled?"_

_"I don't know. Probably. Please help." (_Lucy started to walk back_)._

_"Alright, just wait 'till I'm upstairs before you tell Mum." _The scene ended with Lucy helping me up. I hadn't noticed it whilst I was performing, but all the cameramen and the director were smiling and clapping. I was pretty sure they hadn't clapped for the boy before me! I noticed Janie and Mallie in the corner, they were both clapping. I took a little bow and walked towards a guy who was beckoning to me.

_"That was brilliant!"_ He whispered as we walked off.

* * *

After my performance I was allowed to go and sit with Janie. She was in awe! She told me that I was the first one they clapped for, I hoped that was a good sign. She also told me that the boy before had been really bad. She was just about to say something else when the director, who was sitting in front of us turned around and told us to be quiet, the next boy's audition was starting. I noticed his eyes light up when he saw Janie. He whispered something to a producer sitting nearby, who nodded. I thought nothing of it.

The boy was really, really bad. I wouldn't normally say that, but he was. He said his lines wrong and he was really bad at acting. I think he knew it as well.

The boy after him was pretty good, but it was clear he didn't know what sort of person he was acting. The crowd didn't clap for him, though!

After the final boy had performed, the producer I had seen the director whispering too, came over to us. He said something that really surprised me.

_'Hello Finlay, and you are?' _He asked my sister.

_'Janie.'_ She smiled.

_'Hello Janie. We were wondering if maybe you and your brother could act out the scene together, with you playing Lauren.'_

My sister just stared at him, before she managed a nod. I nudged her.

_'Oh, um, yes!' _She said.

_'Good!' _The man smiled. _'I'm Jules by the way.'_

For some reason I was more nervous about performing with Janie than I was auditioning. As we stepped into the centre, our hand gripping our scripts, I noticed a bounce in her step. She really wanted to do this!

After our performance everything went quiet. Jules was writing things down and showing them to the director. Everyone was smiling at us.


End file.
